Christ Lutheran Church NALC

04/01/2025

ON REPENTANCE PT. 1

This article is a bit longer than the others in the Augsburg Confession, so we will have to break them up. We teach repentance is two things: the knowledge of sin and the turn to faith. To be sure, it is not fun to feel guilt or shame. But God does not wish for us to stay there. He longs to forgive our sins and make us new so that our good works can serve our neighbor.

Therefore,

"Our churches teach that there is forgiveness of sins for those who have fallen after Baptism whenever they are converted. The Church ought to impart Absolution to those who return to repentance [Jeremiah 3:12]. Now, strictly speaking, repentance consists of two parts. One part is contrition, that is, terrors striking the conscience through the knowledge of sin. The other part is faith, which is born of the Gospel [Romans 10:17] or the Absolution and believes that for Christ’s sake, sins are forgiven. It comforts the conscience and delivers it from terror. Then good works are bound to follow, which are the fruit of repentance [Galatians 5:22–23]".

-Article XII of the Augsburg Confession, cited from "Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions" 2nd Edition, p. 77.

03/27/2025

ON CONFESSION

While we do not believe it is mandated that one must privately confess your sins to a pastor, sometimes we feel we are too sinful for God. It is at this juncture where the pastor can come in and say, "No, Jesus died for that sin too!" We are never too far from God.

Therefore,

"Our churches teach that private Absolution should be retained in the churches, although listing all sins is not necessary for Confession. For, according to the Psalm, it is impossible. “Who can discern his errors?” (Psalm 19:12)".

-Article X of the Augsburg Confession, cited from "Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions" 2nd Edition, p. 77.

03/25/2025

ON THE LORD'S SUPPER

God longs to have a relationship with us! What better way than over food? Indeed, God gives us His Son's body and blood so we can be close to Him.

Therefore,

"Our churches teach that the body and blood of Christ are truly present and distributed to those who eat the Lord’s Supper [1 Corinthians 10:16]. They reject those who teach otherwise."

-Article XI of the Augsburg Confession, cited from "Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions" 2nd Edition, p. 76

03/24/2025

ON BAPTISM

In the same way that a parents' love is necessary for a child to thrive, God's love towards us expressed through baptism is necessary for us to thrive. While baptizing infants is not always popular, who can disagree with a parent doing the best for their children?

Therefore, we confess:

"Concerning Baptism, our churches teach that Baptism is necessary for salvation [Mark 16:16] and that God’s grace is offered through Baptism [Titus 3:4–7]. They teach that children are to be baptized [Acts 2:38–39]. Being offered to God through Baptism, they are received into God’s grace.

Our churches condemn the Anabaptists, who reject the Baptism of children, and say that children are saved without Baptism."

Article IX of the Augsburg Confession, cited from "Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions" 2nd Edition, p. 76

03/15/2025

While the language is harsh here, one must understand that what it is trying to say is that even if (which is really most of the time) the Church is imperfect, Jesus is present in the Church no matter what. As long as the Gospel is preached from the Scriptures, as long as the Lord's Supper and Baptism are administered, Jesus is present. We serve a faithful God.

Therefore we would say,

"Strictly speaking, the Church is the congregation of saints and true believers. However, because many hypocrites and evil persons are mingled within them in this life [Matthew 13:24–30], it is lawful to use Sacraments administered by evil men, according to the saying of Christ, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat” (Matthew 23:2). Both the Sacraments and Word are effective because of Christ’s institution and command, even if they are administered by evil men. Our churches condemn the Donatists, and others like them, who deny that it is lawful to use the ministry of evil men in the Church, and who think that the ministry of evil men is not useful and is ineffective."

Article VIII of the Augsburg Confession, cited from "Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions" 2nd Edition, p. 76

03/14/2025

To be sure, while we confess ourselves Lutheran, we admit that there are churches over all Pinellas County preaching Christ and administering the sacraments.

Therefore,

"Our churches teach that one holy Church is to remain forever. The Church is the congregation of saints [Psalm 149:1] in which the Gospel is purely taught and the Sacraments are correctly administered. For the true unity of the Church it is enough to agree about the doctrine of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments. It is not necessary that human traditions, that is, rites or ceremonies instituted by men, should be the same everywhere. As Paul says, “One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all” (Ephesians 4:5–6)".

Article VII of the Augsburg Confession, cited from "Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions" 2nd Edition, p. 75

03/07/2025

It is very normal to change our behavior in order to get people to like us. Worse, it is very normal to change our behavior thinking that if we do this, God will pay attention to us. However, as Christians we believe that our "good works", our desire to love our neighbor, are a result of having received God's love for us. God loves us as we are, He takes us in, and He changes us so we can love our neighbors as ourselves.

Therefore,

"Our churches teach that this faith is bound to bring forth good fruit [Galatians 5:22–23]. It is necessary to do good works commanded by God [Ephesians 2:10], because of God’s will. We should not rely on those works to merit justification before God. The forgiveness of sins and justification is received through faith. The voice of Christ testifies, “So you also, when you have done all || that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty’” (Luke 17:10). The Fathers teach the same thing. Ambrose says, “It is ordained of God that he who believes in Christ is saved, freely receiving forgiveness of sins, without works, through faith alone.”

-Article VI of the Augsburg Confession, cited from "Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions" 2nd Edition, p. 74-75

03/06/2025

Why do we go to church? Well, one reason is because we need to be reminded of God's love. Sometimes life gets busy and we forget what's important. With church, we're reminded (and thus empowered) to live the Christian life in light of God's mercies. That is why the Ministry exists: so that the Gospel of Jesus Christ might be given to us week after week so that we might have strength for the day to day.

So that we may obtain this faith, the ministry of teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted. Through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given [John 20:22]. He works faith, when and where it pleases God [John 3:8], in those who hear the good news that God justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ’s sake. This happens not through our own merits, but for Christ’s sake. Our churches condemn the Anabaptists and others who think that through their own preparations and works the Holy Spirit comes to them without the external Word.

-Article V of the Augsburg Confession, cited from "Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions" 2nd Edition, p. 74

03/06/2025

If you missed our Ash Wednesday service, that's okay! Feel free to listen to the sermon!

Rev. Sergio's sermon on Joel 2: 12-19 at Christ Lutheran Church.March 5, 2025 | Ash Wednesday 2025 with us at Christ Lutheran Church loc...

03/04/2025

Ash Wednesday service at 12 PM and 6 PM tomorrow.

3451 30th Ave. N, St. Petersburg, FL 33713 is where the church is.

Hope to see you there!

03/01/2025

The idea of worrying about one's righteousness before God might sound old-fashioned, but we still worry about how others perceive us. In light of that, it is liberating to confess as Christians that God accepts us in light of Christ's work for us, and that we do not have justify ourselves in front of others because we are justified by God.

Our churches teach that people cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works. People are freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor and that their sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake. By His death, Christ made satisfaction for our sins. God counts this faith for righteousness in His sight (Romans 3 and 4 [3:21–26; 4:5]).

-Article IV of the Augsburg Confession, cited from "Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions" 2nd Edition, p. 73-74

02/28/2025

Every Sunday we confess the Apostles' Creed and Nicene Creed. We do this because, among many reasons, we want to confess that Christ has died for us, was raised for us, and will come again for us. In light of that, like all Christians, we affirm Jesus' love for us and the world.

Our churches teach that the Word, that is, the Son of God [John 1:14], assumed the human nature in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. So there are two natures’the divine and the human’inseparably joined in one person. There is one Christ, true God and true man, who was born of the Virgin Mary, truly suffered, was crucified, died, and was buried. He did this to reconcile the Father to us and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for all actual sins of mankind [John 1:29]. He also descended into hell, and truly rose again on the third day. Afterward, He ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. There He forever reigns and has dominion over all creatures. He sanctifies those who believe in Him, by sending the Holy Spirit into their hearts to rule, comfort, and make them alive. He defends them against the devil and the power of sin. The same Christ will openly come again to judge the living and the dead, and so forth, according to the Apostles’ Creed.

-Article III of the Augsburg Confession, cited from "Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions" 2nd Edition, p. 73.